Priceless Smile
by Mint
Summary: Only one of them could survive in that altar and she did what she had to do to save him. After all, love is one smile away from happening. Oneshot CxA


Author's note: Hi! So this was just some crazy idea I had to write about this part of the game. It was so sad that I felt I had to give those two a chance to say goodbye… Oh well! You are always welcome to leave a review, that is, if anyone will read this! Heh!

**Priceless Smile**

Aeris stood there, blood boiling in her veins, heart beating madly inside her chest as if it wanted to burst out. No pain could compare to what she was feeling at that point. Her whole body felt numb, trembling to fall down, her stomach was turning round and round it seemed. She did not want to believe what her eyes were telling her. One step forward felt so heavy she could almost feel the soil making a hole where she pressed her foot. Cloud had just moved her out of his way with one arm making sure she went behind him, pushing her carefully and yet quickly enough out of Sephiroth's range. What all happened in a second, seemed like it took long minutes. Right in front of her at the stairs of the round crystal altar, Cloud stood, sword gripped between his hands turning red has he squeezed them tightly to hold the huge sword. His face was contracted in a glare at the dark image in front of her. Cloud greeted his teeth and screamed as he ordered his feet to move forward towards his one winged enemy. He could feel Aeris's presence behind him, as long as she was safe he didn't care what happened to him, just as long as he could protect her, and so he would.

He ran, sword lifted up his head, ready to strike down but then there was silence. Time stood still as Aeris's emerald green eyes widened in shock of the scenario that took place in front of her. A long thin sword could be seen appearing from Cloud's back, carrying his dark red blood along till it dropped in the very edge of the silver blade. Aeris screamed in shock, pain, fear, anger, a scream that pierced through her entire body. She felt dizzy, falling down, screaming his name out loud, running to catch him as he dropped to his knees and then onto her lap. Her hands filled with his blood. She could see his mako blue eyes wide opened, looking blankly at the sky, he could barely breathe now. A small line of blood crossed vertically down from the corner of his lips to his chin. She saw his eyes turn slowly towards her and with that, his head dropped slowly to the side, turned at her.

"No…" She gasped between sobs of panic. "No… NO! NO! CLOUD!" Her eyes burst open as she sat, sweating, panting on her bed in the Inn. She lifted one hand onto her forehead, cleaning the sweat that had formed beneath her hair. She looked around, Tifa's bed next to hers was empty and made, she was probably still with the others in the lobby. Aeris looked out the window where the sun was just finishing setting down to give place to the night leaving behind a dark violet sky. She had came to bed early as she was feeling a little dizzy, she thought it was probably tiredness but now she understood the reason why. Her Cetra powers never made a mistake. At times when she felt like she had to rest, it was only to have a vision or some sort of dream, more real than what she wanted it to be. But this time it was too much. Cloud being killed at the place they would be going the following day, Forgotten City. _I can't wait for tomorrow to pray for the Planet… Cloud will be there…And he can't be there. _With that thought crossing her mind, she pushed the bed sheets to the side and rose to her feet. Reaching the wooden stairs of the Inn, she peeked down and no one was at sight, so she climbed down the stairs, through the door, into the cold night outside. She had only taken a few steps into the woods when she heard a voice behind her call her name. She froze, and closed her eyes. _No… Not you… _

"Aeris?" He called again. She turned slowly on her feet to face him and stood there lost in his glowing blue eyes that she always loved to look at. She stood there, silently looking at him as if memorizing every single detail about him, his pale skin, the spiky blond hair, the cold expression in his eyes, the small nose and rosy lips that she felt never smiled. "Are you ok?"

"Y-Yes." She stammered snapping out of her meditation state about Cloud.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, frowning an eyebrow.

"Nothing. I was just taking a walk." She lied. And then it hit her, that would be the last time she heard his voice or seen his face. Eyes became to water, so she turned quickly around, not to face him so he wouldn't notice a tear coming down her cheek.

"Is something wrong?" She could hear Cloud's steps coming in her direction. She quickly cleaned her cheek and looked up at him, now standing next to her.

"No, I'm okay. Don't worry!" She managed to smile at him warmly. "It's a beautiful night isn't it?" She looked up at the grey sky filled with dark clouds ready to burst with raindrops.

"It's about to rain…" Cloud blinked scratching the back of his head and following her gaze.

"Exactly…" She replied smiling at the skies. "I love the rain."

He could tell something was wrong with the ancient, but then again, he had never been good talking about emotional stuff with anyone, let alone girls, let alone that girl.

"You… can trust me." He said out of the blue, thinking that would be probably the best thing to say at that time.

"I know…" She only said. Slowly, she turned towards him and as if no words were necessary he understood she needed him that moment more than anything in the world. Silently, Aeris lifted her arms at him making her both hands meet at Cloud's back in an embrace. He caressed his cheek on her hair and returned the hug placing his arms around her small body. She took a deep breath and let some tears fall down her cheeks as they stood there, they're bodies warming each other. He passed one hand through her hair, giving her the comfort she needed that night. The image of Cloud being killed crossed her eyes, making the flower girl tighten the embrace, her hands gripping his clothes on his back. Cloud could feel her body shaking pressing his but he said nothing as he also didn't want to part from that sense of safety. That moment, Aeris saved Cloud, not from death but from something equally devastating, loneliness. His heart beat at a comfortable pace along with hers, connected, and yet about to be cut.

"Feeling better?" Cloud finally had the courage to part from the embrace. But as he did, he smiled, the tiny corner of his lips formed a tiny looking smile, but it was there, he was smiling, finally at her.

"Much better." Aeris smiled back at him for what she had just achieved. And with that, tiny raindrops started to come down slowly from the skies as if the Planet anticipated what was coming and wiped for its saviour.

"Let's go inside." The blond man replied looking above.

"You go ahead." Aeris informed. "I'll catch up!"

"What? You'll catch a cold that's what you'll catch!" Cloud now said louder as the rain started getting thicker. He reached for her hand, but it slipped right under his. "Aeris!"

"I'll be fine." Aeris tilted her head up and smiled at the pouring rain, her tears mixed into the raindrops. She opened her arms up as to embrace the rain, her gentle hands showed her palms up, letting one golden wrist bracelet come falling down her arm stopping where it got thicker.

"Aeris!" He called again, looking amazed at the girl, her clothes getting wetter, letting the forms of her body be seen.

"Cloud, it'll be okay." She turned to look at him, smiling. "I still have something to do before going back to the Inn." She lied again, but it was necessary, she knew he wouldn't let her be outside alone in the rain. "So, I'll meet you later! It's okay! Goodbye Cloud." And with that, she turned around and ran away as fast as she could into the woods, to pray for the Planet, to save him from wanting to save her. Cloud gave two steps forward to follow her but stopped as the rain fell stronger, as if testing him not to follow her, almost blocking his way to her. His arm stretched as to reach for her, but she was no longer at his sight. He wasn't going to sleep that night.

Reaching the Inn, soaking wet, Cloud didn't go upstairs to the room, instead, he let his body fall down heavily on the lobby's couch, turned to the Inn's door, waiting for her to come. As the hours passed there was no sight of Aeris, he started getting impatient but tiredness won over him, his eyelids started to get heavier and eventually closed into a restless sleep. That night, he dreamed of her.

He ran, long fast steps, panting heavily, sword gripped on his hand, she had tricked him, why would she do that to him? Why would she tell him she was coming back and never returned?

_Aeris…_

His mind was focused on her. He could see her smile, her emerald green eyes shining to him, only for him.

_Goodbye Cloud_

These last words, she was leaving and he cursed himself for not getting the signs.

_How could I be so dumb?_ _Please don't do anything stupid Aeris…_

He ran faster. The crystal walls next to him in a corridor passed faster making a mixture of blue and violet in the corner of his eye.

_Hold on…__I'm coming…_

He jumped effortless from rock to rock almost reaching the altar, when some force froze his body.

_No…_

It was when he saw Sephiroth coming from above, sword in his hands, coming to take her away from him. As it pierced through her fragile body, he felt panic. He wanted to move but the force holding him was heavier, but still what he felt for her was stronger as he managed to move two steps in her direction under the effort he was making to walk. But then he noticed, she was smiling at him, in front of him, falling on her knees, she smiled. He finally reached for her, free to move again, throwing his sword heavily to the side as he screamed in pain. He caught her in his arms, the falling angel that was his own. He had so much to thank Aeris, so much to tell her, and she gave him that chance last night where they stood in the rain. Now she was gone and he would never again have another chance like that. No pain could compare.

_No…_

His hands were shaking dangerously.

A warm thick red liquid stained his clothes as he held her in his arms. She smiled till the very end. That priceless smile.

_You showed me what love was. But __now I will never get to feel it._

-The end.


End file.
